jayce cogburn & jeremy watson: february 10th

This month will we have a killer lineup. Jeremy Watson is a young local artist who is showing his work for the first time and he's brought a TON, including 15 original watercolor paintings for $20. We met Jayce last year at the Dustbowl artist market and fell in love with his characters he had painted on nesting dolls and canvas. Both styles blend together well so look forward to seeing their delightfully prismatic charicatures this second Friday. You can read our interviews with both artists below..

In shop, we're almost halfway through the remodel and have added several new artists. We also have a nice selection of handmade one-of-a kind gifts for Valentines day in addition to our traditional line of disingenuous cards. You won't be bored, promise.

Jayce Cogburn:How would you describe your work?
I usually tell people its cute, bright, and a little humorous. It's mostly a bunch of animals or creatures put in scenarios to either make people smile or to illustrate some sort of story.

What inspires you?
My inspiration comes from many different things; animals, folklore, or it could be as simple as a color that I want to use. I see colors somewhere and then start thinking of ideas to use that color in. Little stuff like that will catch my attention, so when I want to think of new ideas, I usually walk around busy places and just watch what is going on. Some of the stories I paint are actually ones I come up with when I narrate people's lives while lurking around in public.

How did you get started?
I have been doodling since I was a kid, but I had never tried painting until about 6 years ago. My girlfriend Jill got really behind on her school work and asked me to help her finish some stuff for her art class. She got A's on them all so I figure maybe I should keep going at it.

What are your goals for the future?
I hope to keep progressing with my painting. Maybe one day even get into different galleries and get to do some traveling!

Jeremy Watson:How would you describe your work?
I would describe my work as that moment when you say something epic but then you realize that the scene is all wrong and it sounded cooler in your head.

What inspires you?
The main piece of imagery I use in my work, the colors on the cheeks and chin, is originally inspired by navajo legend and art. In the legends, whenever someone has a yellow chin or rainbow stripes on their face (which were generally red, white and turquoise), it meant that they had exceptional power.

I believe that there are probably a thousand things that influence my art on a subconscious level, but some pieces that I actively draw inspiration from are things that are cinematic in some way. Whether it's a real life experience or something I could have read in a book, I like to think of an alternate scenario where one person involved would say an epic line or quote. That is where most of the words come from on my pieces. Of course, the viewer may not understand the meaning, but that's kind of the point. I want them to try and create the backstory themselves.

How did you get started?
Art, it seems, is in my blood. A lot of my family is artistically gifted. I really didn't start doing anything art related until I moved to Oklahoma. At that time, it really didn't expand beyond me drawing a bunch of bad anime characters. However, once I started high school I started expanding and exploring my artistic creativity.

What are your goals for the future?
I'm hoping to have the opportunity to do many more shows in the future, and possibly attend college again. We'll see.